After speaking with coworkers this morning, we can add this about the Orange March:
“These people are not Protestants, they just hate Catholics. I doubt any of them will be church-going,” A. states.
“They’re the opposite group to the provisional I.R.A. – these are the folks who in Ireland are bitter and disenfranchised still, and have spent their time since The Troubles killing each other off,” says C.
Said D., “Fabulous. No WONDER the police were so heavy, and gave me such hard looks! Who else shouldn’t I take pictures of?”
This is both disturbing and reassuring. Any religious scuffle that proceeds into the political and is followed by bloodshed is always confusing, because the very nature of being a religious person would seem to preclude any such intolerance, bigotry and violence. Wouldn’t it? So, it really is with a sigh of relief that we find that this isn’t some weird church-sanctioned anti-Catholic rallying.
This is also a great example of a democracy… because hate speech is protected constitutionally in the U.S., and so is the klan (to whom we will not do the courtesy of linking, nor should we bother capitalizing it). These clubs are created and maintained for the single purpose of uniting in hatred and… hating, yet they receive police protection and permission to proceed. Streets are closed. Courtesy is afforded to the time they take from the city’s schedule. This, folks, is democracy at work.
Occasionally, democracy is disturbing and bizarre.
What an enormously deep thought for just-past Independence Day.
– D & T
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Not wishing to be Devils Advocate , but I’d disagree, and say that your co-workers are as misinformed as those who belong to the Orange Lodge.
Battle of the Boyne is seen as a triumphant Protestant victory, and with Scotland being a Protestant nation (and a good many Scots Protestants who settled in Northern Ireland at the time), it would have sided with the Protestant William or Orange.
The Orange Lodge is not known for violence(not to say that it has never happened, but it is not part of its mission statement!), but it is known for parading past Catholic Churches and areas to “protest” against Catholicism, which seems to be a favourite thing of certain Protestant Churches even today (Note the Rev. Ian Paisleys protest about the Pope being the anti-christ!). The Orange Lodge is not political or military , unlike the IRA or the UVF.
It is like many things when aligned to religion (and especially the Protestant one!) the truth and mission get somewhat skewed!
I think Orange Marches force folk to take one side or another, and the truth is, only those in the march are the only ones taking any side – the rest of us just get on with it!
As my (Catholic) pal once said – if you take the religion out of it, its a grand thing to watch!
PS – I am NOT a card carrying member of the Orange Lodge, although I am related to some (and they were just in it for the social life! lol
Hmmm…
Paz
Hi, Flavaknits~
Observation — and comparing and contrasting our own country’s strange habit of recreating war (fireworks on the 4th and war reenactments) and holding onto angsts of the past to this country’s habits — provided some confusion and introspection. This isn’t intended as passing judgment.
It’s good to hear another side of this, and for the record, the coworkers are a Glaswegian and an Irishman from Belfast… which reflects the fact of varying beliefs and attitudes within the city.